Retail store locations, such as drug stores, grocery stores and toy stores, require a large amount of shelving both to store merchandise and to display the merchandise to consumers. The shelving should be inexpensive, easy to install and capable of organizing and displaying a large number of items. To satisfy these requirements, many retail store locations use gondola shelving systems. Gondola shelving systems typically employ long metal gondola shelves attached to slotted gondola uprights. These systems can be quickly and inexpensively assembled and are widely used in retail store locations. Further details of prior art shelving systems are explained in U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,645, "Shelving Assembly," and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/596,301 "Adjustable Shelf Assembly For Merchandising Display Stand," which are expressly incorporated in this application by reference.
It is desirable that merchandise on the shelves be situated toward the front of the shelf so that the merchandise is visible and accessible to consumers. Thus, as merchandise is removed from a shelf, it is advantageous to push the remaining merchandise toward the front of the shelf. It is also desirable to include dividing panels or dividers to separate merchandise on a display shelf.
Prior art gondola shelving systems have employed pushing devices or dividers to push merchandise toward the front of a display shelf or divide the merchandise. The pushing devices or dividers are coupled to the shelf so that the pushing devices or dividers do not twist, bend or fall off the shelf. The pushing devices or dividers may be coupled to the shelf by a tongue near the front of the pushing device that engages a groove in a rail near the front of the shelf.
However, this arrangement is sometimes unsatisfactory. If the tongue is located on the underside of the pushing device or divider, the pushing device or divider may rotate back-to-front or tip sideways, in other words rock side to side. If the tongue and groove relationship is located on a front surface of the pushing device or divider, the pushing device or divider may still rotate back-to-front or rotate so that it is no longer perpendicular to the front of the shelf.
One prior art approach to these problems involves fastening the rear of the sliding device or divider to the rear of the shelf with a bolt or similar fastening device. This approach requires that appropriate holes be located near the rear of the shelf. In addition, this approach prevents the pushing apparatus or divider from sliding laterally along the shelf. Thus, if the spacing between the pusher device or divider needs to be adjusted, for example to display merchandise of a different size, a user must detach the bolt, slide the pusher device or divider to a new location, and then reattach the bolt. Such a labor intensive operation is not preferred in a retail store location.
Another prior art approach to this problem involves including a second grooved rail, parallel to the first grooved rail, near the back of the shelf. This approach is undesirable because if a pushing device or divider on two parallel grooves is pushed laterally with only one hand, it may bind or get jammed, in other words, becomes sufficiently misaligned such that it will no longer slide until it is straightened.
Thus, an object of the present invention is an improved pusher/divider system for use with existing gondola systems. An additional object of the invention is a low cost pushing and dividing apparatus. Another object of the invention is a unitary apparatus for pushing and dividing merchandise. An additional object of the invention is a pushing apparatus that is more readily mounted to a shelving system.